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9781423664970

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“There is a recipe for everyone in this lovely mushroom cookbook (I’m going for Maitake Philly Cheesesteak). Mushroom Gastronomy is a welcome addition to the library of anyone who loves cooking with mushrooms!”―Eugenia Bone, featured in the documentary Fantastic Fungi and author of the James Beard Award–nominated cookbook Well Preserved -- Eugenia Bone, featured in the documentary Fantastic Fungi and author of the James Beard Award–nominated cookbook Well Preserved “Indulging in the world of mushrooms has never been more delicious and delightful than with this exceptional cookbook. Clear and concise instructions, meticulous detailing of more than twenty mushroom species, and a vast array of globally-inspired recipes will thrill both novices and seasoned chefs alike. It is a testament to the author’s passion for mushrooms and their vast culinary potential, and not only is it a comprehensive guide, it’s a visual feast as well. I can’t wait to get cooking!” -- Cynthia Graubart, James Beard award–winning cookbook author of fourteen cookbooks, cooking teacher, and culinary television producer “This book is a love letter to those of us who are passionate about foraging and creating good food with our mushrooms and should be required reading for anyone who delights in what’s out there, in the forests and meadows, awaiting the curious—and hungry—forager.” -- Britt Bunyard, PhD, noted lecturer, author, mycologist, and founder and editor-in-chief of Fungi Magazine “This cookbook is a celebration of mushrooms. The recipes are approachable yet adventurous, making it perfect for both beginners and seasoned chefs. As mushrooms—particularly wild varieties—continue gaining popularity, Krista’s book offers valuable guidance to those exploring the unique culinary potential of mushrooms.” -- Jack Hamrick, cofounder and CEO of Foraged—A Marketplace for Wild and Specialty Foods “Krista Town’s expert knowledge and indispensable guidance will help you navigate the incredible world of mushrooms and fungi. Her new book is the ultimate culinary resource for both foraged and cultivated varieties, with recipes that are sure to inspire even the most ardent mycophiles.” -- Ray Sheehan, restaurateur, multi award-winning chef, and cookbook author Fungi are the resplendent stars of Krista Towns’s cookbook Mushroom Gastronomy, a treatise on an alluring variety of edible and medicinal mushrooms. Alongside beguiling food photographs and unusual recipes, the book includes exuberant advice on buying and foraging new varieties of fungi and on their ultimate consumption. There are suggestions to eat only small amounts of unfamiliar mushrooms at first—and never to eat most mushrooms raw. There’s a primer on cleaning, cooking, and storing mushrooms, with instructions for drying, smoking, and pickling too, and a guide to stocking the kitchen with a small but specific array of tools and pantry ingredients, like mushroom brushes and delicate oils, to bring out the best fungi flavors. Following this thorough foundation, twenty-five mushroom varieties are examined in nutritional and gastronomic detail, with notes on their best flavor pairings. Button mushrooms, baby portabellas, and portabellas are introduced as part of the same common mushroom species, just at different stages of growth; there are suggestions for cooking these ubiquitous mushrooms in distinctive and delightful new ways as well, as in umami-rich vinaigrettes or pastry-wrapped Mushroom Wellington. A parade of more exotic mushroom varieties is included, as with the bright orange, alien stalks of cordyceps, the pinescented matsutake, and the lion’s mane, a shaggy triffid lookalike and lobster tastealike that Towns downright swoons over. While one could stick with classic mushroom preparations, like simple sautés with butter and aromatics, the book’s wide range of recipes involves cocktails, desserts, kimchi, jerky, and medicinal teas too. One could prepare an entirely fungal feast from these creative alternatives, from maple-perfumed Candy Cap Martinis to Chanterelle-Apricot Galette, with plenty of mushroomcentric mains and sides in between. Elegant in its culinary presentation, Mushroom Gastronomy is a mycophilic delight that inspires broader and more playful kitchen experimentation with edible mushrooms. -- Rachel Jagareski * Foreword Reviews *

Author Information

Krista Towns is the culinary editor of FUNGI Magazine. She is also the culinary advisor and recipe developer for Circular Farm—a premier mushroom farm located in Jackson, South Carolina, that supplies gourmet mushrooms, fruiting kits, and growing supplies to consumers. Towns holds a Mushroom Foraging Certification for food service in eighteen states and is an active member of the North American Mycological Association and the South Carolina Upstate Mycological Society. When not cooking, photographing, or cultivating mushrooms, Krista and her husband, John, can be found enjoying the country life with her horses and the family’s two beloved spaniels, Kirby and Zela. They live in Aiken, South Carolina.

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